Keep Calm & Celebrate The Little Things In Life

Take it slow, and enjoy the little things in life.

It is an attitude I am learning and appreciating more and more daily since living in Florence.

After adopting to the new life in Italy for one year and half, I realize that doing fewer things that make me happy matters much more than doing one big thing that makes me exhausted. The first year in Florence, I wanted to rush everything and settle as fast as possible: move into the new apartment, get my visa done, find a pediatrician for the kid, etc. I had a target of having all these things done within 2 months, and it was just not the way it works in Italy.

Rather than pushing too hard on myself, I turn to celebrate the little steps we made everyday: we found the right office to go, we booked an appointment for issuing a document, we shopped pans and pots for the kitchen, etc. Little by little, continuously, things worked out.

Appreciating the little things is like practicing meditation, the best way would be cut yourself off from the virtual stuff on internet, and focus on what you really have in front of you: friends, wine, flowers, and laughter.

Last week together with other friends from Florence, we hopped on a train, headed to Rufina for a “Farewell to Summer”picnic, organized by EaTravel. Bringing our favorite flowers, favorite wine and snacks, we came to the same table and prepared the picnic all together.

Maria, co-founder of EaTravel, at the same time a very talented and inspiring girl, called us together and assigned a task to all the guests: make-up a flower centerpiece! We were excited but yet lost. Being neither a florist nor an event planner, we had no confidence to create a centerpiece that is beautiful enough to match the gorgeous environment surrounding us.

“It is always a good idea to start from the center. And remember: less is more!”

With some guideline of Maria, we put our hands on and started dressing up our table.

Time to baptize our creations! Pour some local wine, have some snacks with seasonal food, chat with the people next to you, enjoy the sunshine, the breeze, and the colors of the nature…… The spirit of slow living.

What could be more seasonal than “schiacciata con l’uva” in September?!

Take a photo, and don’t immediately care about how many “Likes” you will get online.